Jesus preaches to the crowd about how they should read the times. They know what a rainstorm cloud on the horizon looks like and implicitly, they should see the storm clouds here. They can see the miracles of Jesus and repeatedly are amazed, so what does this mean for them? Do they understand the significance?
Jesus further explains that they should be reconciled with the magistrate. On one hand, this could easily refer to the end of any natural life. But in the context coming after the reference to storm clouds and how Jesus brings division, it could refer to Jesus' teachings. Here he is warning them to be reconciled, but does not explicitly state that he is the magistrate.
The crowd seems to interpret this to refer to the proper blood sacrifices at the temple. This is a good connection to make, but Jesus was probably also talking about himself.
Some people in the crowd mention something, if taken literally, would be a terrible atrocity. Pilate had mixed human blood from Galileans in with the animal sacrifices at the temple. If this went on, it sounds like human sacrifice was happening at the temple of God. All this was at the direction of Pilate. However, we do not know the scale it happened or how often.
This is one of the things that God hated in the Old Testament that lead to the destruction of the northern kingdom and exile of the south. So, the people are right to be concerned.
Jesus responds that the people who suffered were not any more guilty than other people. He then states that the people in crowd must repent or perish themselves.
Jesus ends on an interesting parable. He describes a fig tree that has not produced fruit for three years. The owner decides to keep it for one more year, afterwards it will be destroyed.
On one hand, this actually sort of predicts the somewhat famous account in which Jesus curses a fig tree that has no fruit. On the other, it could be a reference to the ministry of Jesus himself. Jesus is winding down his ministry and will die the following year at Passover. We could take the fig tree to parallel the ministry. That means the Jews will have a major choice the next year. Are they bearing fruit or not? Will they reject or accept Jesus? Will they stand up for Jesus at his trial? Will they weep when he dies? This is all coming to a head.
The fig tree has one more year to bear fruit.
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